Sake and sumo suits: meet Braddon’s newest fight club

Posted on 21 February, 2025

In what might be the city’s most eccentric Friday night offering, Hopscotch is transforming into a pocket of Tokyo every Friday this March – and they had us at sumo wrestling suits.

This is one event that will make even the most seasoned partygoer do a double take.

Bringing the energy of Japan’s capital to Braddon, the Tokyo Throwdown at Hopscotch promises to turn typical Friday evening drinks into a Japanese-inspired spectacle, complete with patrons duking it out in inflatable sumo suits between sips of specialty cocktails.

Yes, you read that correctly – inflatable sumo suits are now part of Braddon’s nightlife dress code.

 

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Along with channelling your inner sumo wrestler, the weekly chaos includes a gyoza eating championship for those who take their dumplings very seriously, while aspiring J-pop stars can grab the mic for karaoke sessions, backed by live DJs mixing modern beats with Japanese classics. There will also be themed giveaways, retro Japanese TV visuals and more.

Pro tip: Those sumo suits are surprisingly forgiving after a few rounds of gyoza.

Add in a mouth-watering menu makeover which includes the addition of Yum Cha, Yakitori dishes and Japanese-inspired sips (think: popping pearl cocktails, sake shots and Capital Brewing Tokyo Draught), Hopscotch is basically cramming everything we love about Tokyo into one ridiculous night.

Starting on Friday 7 March and running until Friday 28 March, the madness commences at 6 pm and runs long into the night. While walk-ins are welcome, booking ahead is recommended – presumably to secure prime sumo suit access.

Want to check it out? Just follow the trail of tipsy warriors in padded suits heading down Lonsdale Street. Just remember, what happens in pseudo-Tokyo, stays in pseudo-Tokyo.

Feature image via Instagram.